Shan States Army Holds Closing Ceremony of Leadership Training

Shan States Army Holds Closing Ceremony of Leadership Training 

A closing ceremony for a 4-month long leadership training course was held at the Shan States Army's provisional headquarters on 1 October, reported Saengjuen Sarawin, S.H.A.N.'s chief reporter from the border. 

On a sunny morning last Friday, 152 officers and men who had attended Leadership Training, received their certificates from their commander-in-chief, Yawdserk, who presided over the ceremony, which lasted three hours, 08:30-11:30. 

"The principal aim of the Institute is the elimination of ignorance", said Yawdserk. "Our objectives are five-fold: Political Awareness, Military skill, Organizational and Administrative Abilities, Self-Reliance and Becoming Future leaders", said Yawdserk. 

A retired fighter, who was at the ceremony, concurred with him. "When General Kornzurng was alive, he paid attention to producing good leaders. As a result, the top leadership was relieved of a lot of burden", he said. 

"But when Khun Sa took over, the emphasis changed to turning out good followers instead. They said what Kornzurng did was to produce tigers that might even bite their owners. 'What we do, in contrast, is to produce good dogs that will watch over the house and its owner', his instructors told us". 
Foreign guests, one American, one British and some newsmen and university students from Thailand, were also seen among the crowd.